By Tamas Mondovics
Re-elected to his third term, Hillsborough County’s twenty-sixth Sheriff, David Gee, was pleased to welcome all attending the Sheriff’s Office Quarterly Awards Ceremony, held for the fourth time this year at the Falkenburg Rd. Jail assembly room.
Wasting no time, event emcee, Chad Chronister, of the Community Outreach Division, drew attention to the level of commitment, dedication, as well as acts of heroism performed by law enforcement personnel and a number of vigilant members of the community.
While recognizing its recent retirees, employees for longevity of service, citizens who helped save lives and catch criminals as well as the civilian employee of the quarter and the year along with the department’s deputy of the quarter, particular honor was given to those in the department who stood out for their special skills.
One of two distinguished performance awards were presented to HCSO Detective Phillip Dubord, a member of the department’s Internet Predator Unit, which deals with the criminal exploitation of children through pornography.
Chronister emphasized that Dubord is regularly sought after by agencies near and far for his forensic skills and knowledge of internet related crimes pertaining to child exploitation through child pornography.
“Due to his investigative skills and credentials in dealing with Internet-related crimes, Detective Dubord is routinely called upon to assist local, state, and federal agencies,” Chronister said.
The Distinguished Performance Award was presented to detectives Ronnie Cooper and Jose Morales who are assigned to investigate staged crashes and fraudulent personal injury protection clinics, a topic that has been on the minds of area residents for some time.
Numerous Sheriff’s Office employees were also recognized for their outstanding work performance during the Republican National Convention, while Life Saving Awards were presented to three deputies that saved a citizen after he collapsed while at the courthouse.
For more information about the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office please visit www.hcso.tampa.fl.us.
